Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-27

doubtful if they would dare to help her. Be-
sides, at the best, it would take twenty-four
hours to collect force, and that would be too
late. The thing was hopeless. Nowhere
could she see ray Of light
"What" she said aloud to herself, "what is
there in tho world that will stop man like
Frank Muller2'
And then all Of an instant the answer rose
up in her brain as though through an inspira-
ton:
Death"
Death, and death alone would stop him.
For minute she kept the idea in her mind
till she was familiarized with it, and then it
was driven out by another that followed
swiftly on its track. Frank Muller must die,
and die before the morning light. By, no
otherpossible means could the Gordian knot
be cut and both Bessie and her old uncle saved.
If he were dead he could not marry Bessie,
and if he died with the warrant unsigned
their uncle could not be executed. That was
the answer to the riddle, and q terrible one it
was.
But after all it was just that he should die,
for had he not murdered and attempted MUIR
der3 Surely if ever man deserved swift
and awful doom it was Frank Muller.
And so this apparently helpless girl,
crouched upon the ground torn and bespat-
tered fugitive in the miserable hiding hole Of
Hottentot, arraigned the powerful leader Of
men before the tribunal Of her conscience
and without pity, if without wrath, passed
upon him a sentence Of extinction.
But who was to be the cxecutioner? A
dreadful thought flashed into her mind and
made her heart stand still, but she dismissed
it. She had not come to that yet Her eyes
wandered round the kennel and lit upon
Jantjes assegais and sticks in the corner and
then she got another inspiration. Jantje
should do the deed. John had told her one
day-told her, when they were sitting to-
gether in 1.-THE Palatial" at Prctoria-the
whole of Jantjes awful story about the mas
sacre of his relatives by Frank Muller twenty
years before. OF which, indeed, she already
knew something. It would be most fitting
that this fend should be removed Off the face
Of the earth by the survivor Of those unfortu-
mates. There would be little poetic justice
about that, and it is so rare in tie world.
But the question was, would he do it7 The
little man was wonderful coward, that she
kucW, dllu uuu d SItaU Uc1lOl VI DoSAo1 o'iASA
especially Of Frank Muller.
"Jantje," she whispered, putting her head
toward the bee hole.
ayes, missile" answered O hoarse voice out
side, and next second his monkey like face
came creeping into the ring Of light, followed
by his even more monkey like form.
"Sit down there, Jantje. I am lonely
here, and want to talk"
He obeyed her, with grin. "What shall
we talk about, missile? Shall I tell you
story of the time when the beasts used to
speak like used to do years and years ago|
"No, Jantje. Tell me about that stick
that long stick with knob on the top, and
the hicks cut on it. Has it not something to
do with Frank Mullerg'
The Hottentot's face instantly grew evil.
"Yah, yah, missie!" he said, reaching out
skinny claw and seizing the stick. "Look,
that big notch, that is my father, Baas
Frank shot him; and that next notch, that IS
nv mother, Baas Frank shot her; and the
next one, that is my uncle, all old, old man,
Baas Frank shot him, too And these small
notches, they are where he has beaten me
yes, and other things, too. And now will
make more notchcs-one for the house that
is burned, and one for the old Baas Croft,
my own baas, whom he is going to shoot,
and one for Missile Bessie" And without
further ado he drew from his side very
large, white handled hunting knife, and be-
gan to cut them then and there upon the
hard wood Of the stick.
Jess knew this knife Of old. 1t was Jantje's
peculiar treasure, the chief joy of his narrow
little heart. He had bought it from Zulu
for heifer which her uncle had given him
in lieu Of half years wages The Zulu had
cot it from a man who came down from be-
yond Delagoa bay. As matter Of fact it was
O Samali knife, manufactured from soft ma
tive steel (which takes an edge like razor,
and with Il handle cut from the tusk OF hip
popotamus. For the rest, it was about foot
long, with three grooves running the length
of tho blade, and very heavy.
"Stop cutting notchcs Jantje, and let me
look at that knife"
He obeyel, and put it into her hand.
"That knife would kill q man, Jantje," she
said.
"Yes, yes" he answered; mo doubt it has
killed many men"
"It would kill Frank Muller, now, would it
not?" she said, suddenly bending forward and
fixing her dark eyes upon the little mans
jaundiced orbs.
"Yah, yah," he said, starting back, "it
would kill him dead. All! What thing it
would be to kill him." lie added, with fierce
half snig:gle, half laugh.
"He killed your father, Jantje."
"Yah, yah, he killed my father" said
Jantje, his eyes beginning to roll with rage.
she killed your mother"
"Yah, ho killed my mother" he repeated
after her with eager ferocity.
"And your uncle. He killed your uncle"
"And my uncle, too," he went on, shaking
his fist and twitching his long toes as his voice
rose to n sort Of subdued scream. "But he
will die in blood-the old Englishwoman, his
mother, said it when the devil was in her, and
the devils never lie Look! I draw Baas
Franks circle in the dust with my toe, and
listen, l say the words-I say the words" and
he muttered something rapidly; IAN old, old
witch doctor taught me how to do it, and
what to say. Once before did it, and there
was stone in the way; now there is no stone;
look, tho ends meet. He will die in blood! He
will die soon. 7 know how to read the circle, t"
and he gnashed his teeth and sawed the air
with his clinched fists
eyes, you are right, Jantje," she said, still
holding him with her dark eyes. HE will
die III blood, and he shall die tonight, and
you will kill him, Jantje"
The Hottentot started, and turned pale
under his yellow skin.
"How?" he said; 'howT
"Bend forward, Jantje, and I will tell you
how" and she whispered for some minutes
into his ear.